(AWESOME) Bios

Meet Caitlin Sommers:

Recently 30, I have had sometime this year to reflect on what I have done so far in my life. The things I am proud of, the things that helped turn me into who I am today and gave me the skills I need to be successful in what I do. Growing up, I was involved in so many athletic based activities and some non-athletic. I played soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball, tried tennis once even. I danced, did gymnastics, speech arts, piano, keyboard, drums. These activities provided me with the opportunity to learn persistence, commitment, time management, and leadership skills. And through it all, I changed my mind on what I “wanted to be when I grew up” probably 17 times.

It wasn’t until I was half way through grad school when I realized that there were jobs out there that would allow me to help other students get the same types of experiences and growth that I had received from working in Campus Recreation. My path was not clear, and the destination is always evolving. My goal is to help my students gain the skills that will help them be successful when they enter the real world. To help them become emotionally intelligent critical thinkers, embody a growth mindset, use their many transferable skills and feel a sense of community to always refer back to. My knowledge that I am sharing within this blog is from my own experiences, extensive reading and research.#GrowthMindset #EQoverIQ #borntobeAWESOMEnotperfet

Meet Richelle C. Harvey:

“It isn’t what we say or think that defines us but what we do.” -Jane Austen

I am a twenty-something with a passion for coffee, student development, and staying relevant. Growing up I was always actively engaged in team sports and most importantly, swim team & water polo. Swim team lead me to several leadership positions, jobs, and ultimately to find my forever career in Campus Recreation. As I wrapped up undergrad I was struck with what a defining impact that a “job” had had on me. I learned just about everything I needed to know about life and work from my supervisors, coworkers, and teammates during my time at CREC.

My ‘aha’ moment came when I realized I could have the same impact on college students by going into the field. My adventures through the university systems of Oregon, Texas, Washington, DC, and now Washington has left me with a varied experience with a wide demographic of students, coworkers, and cities. My goal is to help my student staff become moderately functioning humans beings, gain transferable skills, and feel like they belong to a community. Working with 18- 24 year olds really pushes me to think outside the norm and evolve as a supervisor and mentor. My knowledge that I am sharing within this blog is from my own experiences, failures, successes, and extensive reading and research. #stayrelevant #bememorable #puttheAWEinAWESOME